History Applied is me, Peter Anderson, a PhD candidate at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. I am a graduate of Carleton University's Bachelor of the Humanities and Master of Arts in Public History programs. I am currently researching the historical and cultural geographies of the Central Experimental Farm, located in Ottawa, with a particular focus on the period from 1886 to 1938.
Between finishing my MA and starting my PhD I worked as a historical researcher at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and in Litigation Support at the Department of Justice. Both these roles centred on the importance of solid research methodology and digital humanities skills to the history and legal communities. It also sparked a passion in providing continuing education and fostering sound research practices in learners of all ages.
I also worked as an independent public history consultant and volunteered at the Bytown Museum. In both of these roles, as well as my personal research, I strove to draw out the importance of place in history. My masters research looked at the goals and methods of history and nature study education in turn of the twentieth century Ottawa whereas some of my research contracts included the Ontario Heritage Trust's plaque to the Dale Estate of Brampton, house histories, First World War soldiers' stories and native-newcomer relations on the Prairies.
